Summary

  • Fans eagerly await news about Dragon's Dogma 2 DLC to address quality-of-life concerns, expand combat, and introduce new maps and gear.
  • Bitterblack Isle's cursed items and purification process added depth to gameplay, enhancing the exploration and gear acquisition aspect.
  • Dragon's Dogma 2 should ramp up difficulty levels and introduce new narratives to keep players engaged and satisfied with the sequel.

With Dragon's Dogma 2 standing as a great success for Capcom, with over three million copies sold, there is no doubt that fans are looking forward to what is next in the franchise. While it launched to negative reception due to performance issues across all platforms and controversy surrounding microtransactions, developers have released patches over the last few months to address these concerns from fans.

Despite the issues, and some of the resolutions mentioned above, fans hope the rumored DLC will address many more quality-of-life issues, alogn with expanding on combat, and vocations, and maybe introduce content available from the first game's Dark Arisen DLC, and its setting, Bitterblack Isle, that is missing in the sequel.

5 A New Map

The Dark Arisen DLC Introduced A New Map: Bitterblack Isle

Combat

It is widely believed that Dragon's Dogma Dark Arisen's main appeal is indeed its DLC map, known as Bitterblack Isle. While the base game's map provided a sufficient amount of content for players to enjoy, especially once the story was completed with the introduction of 'The Everfall', Bitterblack Isle provided a new level of replay value.

It added extra incentives with new areas to visit, and while many of the areas on its map were similar to one another, it was enough to get players back into playing the game. If Capcom's rumored Dragon Princess DLC is indeed in the works, then there is no doubt that a new and much bigger map will drastically change the RPG title's reception for the better.

4 Purification/Cursed Items

Daimon Boss Fight

One of the main points of criticism in Dragon's Dogma 2 is the ability to purchase all forms of both low- and high-level gear from vendors in-game, ultimately seen as defeating the purpose of exploration and finding chests. In Dark Arisen, specifically on Bitterblack Isle, the best gear was only found in Bitterblack Isle cursed items.

These were either for standard gear such as new augments, weapons, and armor, with each category having quality run from levels one to three, which would need to be purified to reveal their loot. Obtaining these could be done by finding chests scattered around Bitterblack Isle, or by defeating the final boss, Daimon. A Dragon's Dogma 2 DLC will largely benefit from a similar system, giving players a greater incentive to explore and offering them better gear for doing so.

3 Harder Difficulty

Bitterblack Isle Drastically Stepped Up Difficulty Levels From The Base Game

Daimon

While Dark Arisen's Bitterblack Isle could be accessed at any time in the game, visiting this place early on would undoubtedly result in a plethora of deaths. Many seasoned DD1 players recommend only heading over to Bitterblack Isle once Grigori has been defeated, and once enough Wakestones are collected in the endgame's Everfall location.

Dragon's Dogma 2 has seen a large majority of fans suggesting that it is too easy, especially when diving into a New Game+ run. The first title featured a hard mode, allowing players to dive into a more challenging experience, and since this is not featured in the sequel, Capcom should look into making a potential DLC much harder than the base game is currently.

2 New Narrative

Dragon's Dogma 2's Narrative Is Nearly Identical To The First Game Due To An In-Game Cycle

Grigori

Since Dragon's Dogma Dark Arisen's narrative involved a cycle that sees another Arisen take on Grigori in a new time period, many fans anticipated Dragon's Dogma 2 would follow in the same footsteps. Despite this, it didn't do enough to lighten the level of disappointment from most fans, as they still expected to see a new overall experience within the narrative.

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With a potential DLC now standing as the focus of the fanbase, many hope that it won't receive the same treatment as the first game, and will introduce a story that stands apart from anything that has been seen in the series previously. As the post-game stages of Dragon's Dogma 2 took a slightly different spin compared to Dark Arisen's Everfall, it suggests a DLC may lead to something different from what was seen before.

1 Enemy Variety

Fans Feel That Dragon's Dogma 2 Suffers From A Lack Of Enemy Variety

Drake fight

Perhaps the biggest point of criticism of Dragon's Dogma 2, is the lack of enemy variety, with many of the first game's enemies present here for the most part, and very little in the way of new creatures to fight. Goblins, Harpies, Drakes, Cyclops, and Griffins are the main enemies that players will find themselves coming across throughout the majority of their experience.

Considering the steps made towards better enemy variety in Dragon's Dogma Dark Arisen in its Bitterblack Isle location, it came as a surprise for many to see that the sequel didn't receive the same treatment. While there are new enemies in Dragon's Dogma 2, considering it's a sequel to a game that is over a decade old, it is felt that there are not nearly enough. If a DLC is well and truly in development, this should be the main focus for Capcom, and will ultimately give this long-awaited sequel greater staying power. It will also go a long way towards pleasing the longest-standing Dragon's Dogma fans.

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Action RPG
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Top Critic Avg: 87 /100 Critics Rec: 91%
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Released
March 22, 2024
ESRB
Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Language, Sexual Themes, Violence
Developer(s)
Capcom
Publisher(s)
Capcom
Engine
RE Engine
Franchise
Dragon's Dogma
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WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
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Genre(s)
Action RPG